Pneumatic concrete-placing machine



March 3, 1931. J. P. FABER PNEUMATIC CONCRETE PLACING MACHINE Filed Oct. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNi'i-YED STATES PATENT OFFECE JOHN P. FABER, OF DUNELLEN' BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RANSOME CON- CRETE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY PNEUMATIC CONCRETE-PLACING MACHINE Application filed October 18, 1927. Serial No. 226,871.

The improvements relate generally to apparatus for conveying concrete and the like by compressed air, and more particularly to the closure of the vessel in which the plastic concrete or concrete forming aggregates are deposited and from which they are expelled by compressed air in the conveying and placing operation.

The primary objects, among others, are to provide in such an apparatus, pneumatic means for closing the receptacle after the charge has een placed therein and also to provide an improved closure and accessories.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section partly in elevation of an apparatus embodying the improvements provided with a worm 4: for propelling the materials toward the outlet, a compressed air inlet 5 and a housing 6 in which is located a motor 7 or other means for rotating the worm, all mounted on a suitable base 8. The compressed air inlet 5 to the vessel may 35 be used when desired, with or without the worm, and may be employed to clean the vessel. Air pressure, however, suiiicient to expel the contents, will be established by air entering it from the compressed air pipe 9,

as which also propels the material through the discharge conduit 10 to the point of placement.

The inlet or charging opening 2 has a reinforcing ring 11 on which is mounted a hop- 45 per 12 said ring also having an annular sealing gasket 13 set therein. Mounted on the walls of the vessel adjacent said opening are two spaced supporting elements 14 extend- 5 ing longitudinally thereof for a suitable distance along the walls of the vessel. Secured Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus;

inlet 2, it is understood that same may be employed where the inlet is other than circular, which is within the scope of the invention.

Loosely mounted on the track or guides 15 is a metal door or closure 16 adapted for reciprocation on said guides, on which it rests when not in closing position.

A cylinder 17 for compressed air is mounted in the housing 6 and is provided with a piston or plunger 18 connected with a suitable actuating arm 19 for operating the door 16. Any convenient arrangement may be em ployed for admitting compressed air to the cylinder 17 that herein shown bein by pipes 20 and 21 entering opposite ends or' the cylinder. Said pipes, together with pipe 9, communicate with a valve controlled fitting 22 which is supplied with compressed air from the main line 23.

The rod or arm 19, suitably supported in packed bearings 24 where it pierces the wall of vessel 1, is pivot-ally secured to door 16, having depending ears 25, by pivot 26. Said pivot also has loosely mounted thereon, a dog 27, which is held for limited movement in plate 28 depending from said door. Said dog passes through a slot 29 in said plate, which is large enough to permit relative movement between the door, plate and dog and at the same time maintains said dog inclined with respect to the door, arm 19 and plate 28. It is seen from this construction that arm 19 and dog 27 are loosely mounted on the same pivot 26 and are held in diverging relation.

On the end wall 30 of vessel 1 is mounted a stop or abutment 31 comprising two plates 32 and 32 projecting from the top and end of the vessel and terminating in a curved pocket to form the stop 31. Said stop is placed in the path of the free end of dog 27 and closely adjacent to inlet 2, so that do 27 will strike same before the door has readlaed the limit of its travelQ Since stop 31 must Withstand great shocks as the door is forced home, plates 32 and 32 are disposed at angles to each other in order to obtain the most advantageous distribution of the force, their outer ends being bent as shown, one to form pocket or stop 31. The bent end of plate 32' issecurely united as by rivets or spot welding to the face of plate 32.

A suitable buffer 33 is placed in the cylinder 17. It will be noted that when valve 22 is opened to admit compressed air to the vessel and discharge conduit, pressure will be instantly established in the door operating cylinder and the door 16 will be closed. This insures the closing of the door as soon as the compressed air is turned on to the vessel 1 and also enableslthe operator to actuate the door and simultaneously turn on or off the compressed air supply to the vessel by means of a single valve. Conversely, valve 22 may be actuated to open said door and simultaneously close off pipe 9 from discharging the contents of the vessel. As it is frequently desirable to close door 16 before air is turned on to the vessel, all the valves may be used suitablysynchronized as set forth in the application for patent No. 47,476, filed August- 1st, 1925 by James E. Bushnell.

Assuming :the door to be in full open position, piston 18 will be against buffer v33, and 5 door 16'together with plate 28, dog 27 and pivot 26 will be adjacent theright hand limit of track or guides 15 shown in Fig. 1. As the guides are spaced from opening 2, the closure .16 resting on said guides is free to move in a plane spaced from the plane of saidopening. Compressed air, being turned on by valve 22, enters cylinder 17 by pipe 20, back of piston 18, whereby arm 19 and the elements pivoted to the end thereof are urged to the left in Fig. 1. Door 16 rides by gravity on guides 15 until plate 28 and dog 27 approach stop 31. Close to the limit of travel of door 16, dog 27 contacts with Stop orpocket 31 prohibiting further horizontal movement .of the door on guides 15. However, stop 31now acts as a fulcrum about which pivot 26 may swing. Said pivot, being further urged to the left by the compressed air actuated arm 19 and being in a plane above the plane of fulcrum 31, is forced to describe an are about said stop 31. Obviously door 16, carrying said pivot is raised from guides 15 and describes the same are and in so traveling is met and stopped by gasket 13 and ring 11. Continued pressure on the pivot 26, door 16 and stop 31 by arm 19, forces the door 16 upwards against parts 11 and 13, and holds it thereagainst in airtight sealing relationship. This relation of parts showing the door in fully closed position is clearly found upon inspection of Figs. 1 and 3.

the vessel.

It is seen from the foregoing that the toggle formed by diverging arm 19 and dog 27 in conjunction with stop 31 and pivot 26 functions with a wedgin g action to force door 16 home to its seat about opening 2. This wedging engagement with gasket 13 is desirable for sealing the opening air tight, so that none of the aggregates may be blown therethrough when the compressed air from pipe 9 enters Besides functioning to discharge the contents of vessel 1, the compressed air from pipe 9 supplements the toggle aforementioned in maintaining door 16 in sealing position.

It is apparent in opening said door, that as arm 19 retracts, the toggle is broken and door 16 falls to and'travels on guides .15. A vent pipe 34, communicating with the vessel 1, and having a cock 35 at its outer end, is

provided for the purpose of releasing the pressure should the line become blocked or the release of the pressure be necessary for any other reason.

The preferred form of the improvements is depicted in Figs. 4 and 5 wherein track or guides 15 are mounted on the vessel as hereinbefore described. The door 16, loosely mounted thereon for lateral movement, has pairs of depending ears 36 on each side there of whichcarry pins 37 having rollers 37. Suitably supported track structure and at the end adjacent opening 2 are brackets 38 having pins 39 on which are pivotally mounted dogs 40, the free ends of each terminating in a machined inclined surface 41, as seen in Fig. 4. For limiting the movement of dogs '40 and for adjusting same in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, eccentrics 42 are provided on the brackets 38 in the path of said dogs. Suitable set screws43 or other means are pro vided for securing the eccentrics 42 in adj usted position.

T-t'will be understood from inspection of Fig. 5, that the parts 36 to 43 inclusive are duplicated on each side of the device. The elements 38 to 43 are positioned so that inclined surfaces 41 are in the plane passing through the axis of opening 2. However, said parts may be located on either side of said plane and be within the purview of the invention. As shown, each dog 40 is positioned with its incline 41 in the path of movement of'the rollers 37 the distance from the top of the inclines to the horizontal plane of opening 2 being less than the distance to said plane from the lower halves of rollers 37.

The operation of this preferred embodiment is apparent. As door 16 is urged to the left, in Fig. 4, by rod 19, it rides by gravity on guides 15 until rollers 37 approach inclines 41. It will be remembered that guides 15 and door 16 are suitably spaced from opening 2 as fully set forth in the embodiment first described. Close to the limit from elements 14 of the of travel of door 16, rollers 37 contact with inclines 41 on dogs 40, prohibiting further horizontal movement of the door on guides 15. However, being further urged to the left the compressed air opera-ted arm 19 rollers 37 now ride on inclines 41. Obviously, door 16 is raised from guides 15 and travels in a plane parallel to that of the inclines. This angular travel of the door is arrested by the parts 11 and 13 of opening 2. Continued pressure on door 16 and rollers 37 by arm 19 forces the door 16 against parts 11 and 13 and holds it thereagainst in air-tight sealing relationship. Upon retraction of arm 19, the door 16 descends inclines 41, and thence slides on guides 15.

It is seen from the foregoing that the coaction of the rollers and inclines functions with a wedging action to force door 16 home to its seat about opening 2. As aforementioned, this wedging engagement with gasket 13 is desirable for sealing the opening air-tight. The eccentrics 42 afford a convenient means for adjusting the position of dogs 40 and consequently inclines 41 to compensate for wear of the gasket, rollers, inclines, etc.

It will be noted that in each embodiment, the door 16 is pivotally mounted on arm 19, so that it is free to find its own seat on the gasket.

In devices of this character it frequently happens that in charging the vessel through opening 2, a certain amount of the fluent mass is deposited on the door for said opening, which the operator is called upon to remove manually before it can solidify. Serious injury to the operator may occur in per forming this service, but in the present embodiment the improvements render this manual attention unnecessary. It will be noted that the door 16, in its seating and unseating action has a certain amount of horizon tal movement across the gasket 13. The relative movement between gasket 13 and door 16 has a scouring or scraping action on the latter functioning to keep the door free of any material which may be deposited thereon.

Other advantages of the construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

1. In a vessel for receiving materials to be discharged therefrom pneumatically, a charging and discharging opening, a sliding door for closing said charging opening, an arm mounted adjacent said opening for movement to and from same, said door pivotally mounted on said arm, an air operated device for said arm and pivoted dogs mounted adj acent said charging opening for holding said door in wedging engagement with said charging opening and means for adjusting the position of said dogs.

2. In a vessel for receiving materials to be discharged therefrom pneumatically, a charging and a discharging opening, a closure for said charging opening, an actuating arm for said closure, and pivoted means having an inclined surface mounted adjacent said opening with which said closure contacts in its final closing movement.

3. The combination set forth in foregoing claim 2, wherein said closure comprises a sliding door.

4. The combination set forth in foregoing claim 2 wherein said arm is pneumatically actuated.

5. The combination set forth in foregoing claim 2, wherein said means is adjustable.

6. In a vessel for receiving materials to be disch arged therefrom pneumatically, a charging and a discharging opening, a sliding door for said charging opening, a pneumatically actuated arm for said door, means having an inclined surface mounted adjacent said opening and anti-friction means carried by said door adapted to ride on said surface in the final closing movement of said door.

7. In a vessel for receiving materials to be discharged therefrom pneumatically, a charging and a discharging opening, a sliding door for said charging opening normally mounted in spaced relation thereto, an arm for actuating said door, a roller mounted on said door and a dog having an inclined surface mounted adjacent said charging opening and in the path of said roller, whereby in the final closing movement of said door, said door is thrust into wedging engagement with said charging opening.

fitness my hand this 15th day of October, 1927, at Dunellen, New Jersey.

JOHN P. FABER. 

